Illustration credit: Rebecca Kerzner
Prayer in the Parashah תְּפִלָּה
The third paragraph of Shema comes from our parashah, and it’s the part of the Torah where Bnei Yisrael are commanded to attach צִיצִת (tzitzit) to the corners of their garments.
In Shaharit, right before you say Shema, there’s a custom to gather your tzitzit in your hand while you say these words:
וַהֲבִיאֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ
Bring us together in peace from the four corners of the earth
In this action, we connect our tzitzit, which are sometimes called אַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת (arba kanfot, four corners), with a prayer that God should bring us together in unity from the four corners of the earth.
There are some other actions in tefillah connected to tzitzit, too. When you mention the word “tzitzit” in Shema, there’s a custom to kiss your tzitzit (see Yafe LeLev – Rahamim b. Hayim Falaji, SA, OH 24:12). There is an even older custom to look at your tzitzit when you say the words וּרְאִיתֶם אֹתוֹ (ure’item oto, you shall look at it) (Bemidbar 15:39; and see Shulhan Arukh OH 24:4).
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